Time to visit family and friends!

At the close of my summer job, I hopped on a plane and headed to New Orleans for a week visiting my family and friends. Tripp was not able to come with me since he had to work :( I spent the first part of the week in Gulf Shores, Alabama with my sisters and parents. We arrived, got situated in our condo, and headed down to enjoy some sun and the relaxing lazy river.

Lazy river

Me and my sisters at dinner

We spent 4th of July soaking up some rays and loving the pools and lazy river. That night we had a fabulous meal at Nolan's. During dinner we got to watch the terrific firework display over the Gulf of Mexico. After dinner, we decided to check out the live music in the lounge at the restaurant. We had a round of drinks and enjoyed some interesting people watching and then called it a night.

Mom & Dad at dinner

We woke up Monday to gray clouds. We really wanted to go see the beach so we ventured out despite the weather. We were on the beach long enough to sit, check out the tar balls, and take a few pictures before the rain started. We quickly made it back to the condo. We showered, ate dinner, and then decided to go see a movie.

The poor beach!

Getting ready for Toy Story 3!

Claire, Kelly, and I saw Toy Story 3 while my parents saw Eclipse. Following the movies, Claire and Kelly took a ride on the ferris wheel and then we drive back to the condo. We woke Tuesday morning to more dark clouds and rain so we decided to cut our trip short and leave a day early. Once the car was packed, we got on the road and headed back to Metairie but not without a stop at the Hollywood casino in Mississippi to enjoy a dinner at their buffet (and a little gambling!!). It was a fun trip, but it was also quite an eye-opener. Since the oil spill in the Gulf, things have not been the same at the beach. It was strange to see clean-up equipment under many overpasses and on some stretches of the beach. I hope that things will improve soon!

I spent the rest of the week hanging out with my family and friends. I helped my parents look at tile for their bathroom, helped Laura look at furniture, got a haricut and color from Claire, visited both of my grandmothers and my grandfather, and shared a few meals with friends. It was a great visit but I was so glad to see my sweet husband when I returned to Houston!